Hot Cross Bun Loaf

on

 Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour rising time

Cooking time: 40 minutes

  • 1 cup/150g sultanas
  • 1/2 cup/125ml rum or whisky
  • 20g/0.7ozs flour (plain all purpose or bread)
  • 125ml/4flozs. water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 375g/13ozs flour
  • 3 teaspoons instant dried yeast
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 2 eggs
  • 50g/1.7ozs butter, cubed

For the Cross

  • 20g/0.7ozs. flour
  • 1.5 tablespoons water

For the Glaze

  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup boiling water
Method:

Step 1 - Soak the sultanas in rum or whisky overnight if you have the time. If you want to heat them in a hurry gently warm up the rum or whisky and soak for 20 minutes. Leave to cool at room temperature.

Step 2 - Make the tangzhong or water roux. Whisk the 20g of the flour and water in a small saucepan and heat to 65C/149F. Then add the salt, milk and honey and stir until it reaches 45C/113F.

Step 3 - In the bowl of a mixer add the flour, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice and then add the tangzhong mixture. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Then add the eggs and butter and knead for another 5 minutes or until you get the window pane effect.

Step 4 - Grease a large bowl and scoop the mixture into it and cover. Allow to rise for 45 minutes (this is a fast rising dough). Grease a large loaf tin (mine is 19.5cm x 10cm x 11cm or 7.6 x 3.9 x 4.3 inches) and line the base and sides with parchment.

Step 5 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Drain the sultanas well. Mix them into the dough and place in the prepared tin making sure that the dough reaches about 1.5cm below the edge giving it space to rise and get a nice dome shape. You don't need to prove this dough very long (10 minutes is all it needs) so just do the cross. Mix the flour and water together and place in a small piping bag and pipe crosses on top of the dough.

Step 6 - Once it has risen for a total of 10 minutes, bake it for 40 minutes turning it around halfway through.

Step 7 - 5 minutes before it comes out of the oven, mix the sugar, gelatine powder and boiling water together. Brush over the hot bread. Allow to cool in tin for 15 minutes and then gently lift it out of tin.